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Save some money on baby food–make your own! Healthy, tasty baby food can be had for far less than you would have paid in the grocery store. It’s not that difficult! Plus, you can enjoy knowing exactly what food goes into your baby.

Steps

1. Find small containers to store the food. Sterilize your containers in the dishwasher or sterilizer.
2. Buy fresh fruit or vegetables that are at the peak of ripeness. You can also use frozen food if you like, and sometimes that is far easier and better if the food is out of season. Look at the ingredients of frozen portions carefully to avoid any additives like sugar or salt.
3. Clean the fruit/veggie carefully and remove any brown spots. Peel the fruit. Steam the veggies or cook them in the microwave in a bit of water. Follow the directions and make sure the food is soft. It is not necessary to cook the fruit.
4. Chop the food in a food processor until it is very smooth. Add warm water if necessary until you get a smooth consistancy.
5. Pour a single serving size into each container and freeze immediately.

Tips

• Make sure all of your equipment is very clean before using it for baby food.
• Pears and other similar fruits will turn brown quickly, so work quickly.
• You must strain the seeds out of the mixed berries using a large strainer.
• Depending on the child’s age, you can cook your own dinner, and puree a portion that’s appropriate for Baby to eat.
• You can also freeze homemade baby food in ice cube trays. When frozen, just pop them out and store in a plastic freezer bag.
• Try feeding baby a variety of foods—even if you dislike them! You may be surprised to find out your child just loves prunes, peas, lima beans, and more.
• Consider choosing organic. Eliminating or limiting the amount of pesticides your child ingests is a good idea. Organic foods may be a bit more expensive, but it doesn’t take much of one fruit, vegetable, or portion of meat to feed a baby.
• Buy fruits and vegetables locally and at peak of season when available. The fresher the produce, the tastier, more nutritious, and inexpensive it is likely to be. Although almost always safe, foods imported from abroad are more likely to be tainted or contaminated than fruits and vegetables grown locally. Plus, a trip to a local Farmer’s Market is a great outing for a stroller ride.
• A few “adult foods” in the supermarket are perfectly fine for baby without any additional preperation, such as pureed squash, unsweetened applesauce, and plain unsweetened whole milk yogurt. You can save money by comparing prices of such foods against the same type marketed to infants.

Warnings

• Ask your pediatrician before making baby food or feeding solids.
• Avoid strawberries, nuts, and corn in the first year to avoid early allergies.
• Very young babies should not have cows milk products–only formula or breast milk.
• Only introduce a new food every 3-4 days. If there is an allergic reaction, you will know the exact food.
• Avoid using spinach or collard greens before your baby is 1 year old as it contains nitrates that can be very harmful to young babies.
• Avoid introducing citrus foods and tomatoes to babies under 1 year — the acidity can be hard on a baby’s digestive system.
• Do not add sugar, butter, salt or honey to your recipes.
• Babies under 1 year of age should not have honey or corn syrup,it could contain spores of botulism.

Things You’ll Need

• Fresh or frozen fruit or veggies appropriate for babies age
• Mixing bowl
• Knife and cutting board
• Strainer
• Food processor
• Warm water
• Food storage containers
• Dish detergent
• Hungry baby

Related wikiHows

• How to Bottle Nurse a Baby
• How to Make Irish Mashed Potatoes
• How to Soothe a Baby
• How to Bottle Nurse a Baby
• How to Put a Baby to Sleep
• How to Use Leftover Baby Food
• How to Eat Peas
• How to Wear Your Baby
• How to Bathe an Infant
• How to Read a Book to a Baby or Infant
• How to Photograph a Baby or Infant
• How to Feed a Baby or Infant Solid Food

Sources and Citations

• http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solids2.htm
• http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/FruitRecipes.htm

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Healthy Baby Food. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Being prepared with a full diaper bag while out of the house is always better than guessing or thinking twice about things. You’ll never know what situation you’ll be in or what you’ll need in order to keep a baby happy.

Steps

1. Keep a food stock. If you are not breast-feeding, food and/or drinks should always be packed. Babies always need their nutrients. If you are bottle feeding, use a travel container that divides each powder amount & spare travel-sized bottles of water or juice. If your baby is on solids, choose small travel jars that you can throw out when finished.
2. Stock up on diapers. Diapers are very essential to have in a diaper bag. It’s recommended to have at least one diaper for each hour you’re out, but it’s nice to grab a handful in case of emergencies. Also, try to get a travel pack of baby wipes.
3. Know that health is important. Use the side pockets or little compartments for medications, emergency phone numbers, etc. Oragel and infant Tylenol are both excellent items to leave in the bag.
4. Have extra clothing and blankets. A good sized blanket is appropriate for a cool environment, a bib or two is excellent for feeding times, and comfortable socks & hats keep the sensitive parts warm and cozy. You may also want to keep an extra sweatshirt or sweater if the weather could change drastically. You don’t need to over pack these things; if it’s just for a walk in the park, you probably don’t need to pack clothes.
5. Keep them entertained. Bring a toy or two. Keep a few pacifiers in little sandwich baggies - this helps if one drops on the ground, you have extra.
6. Bring Sanitary Wipes and Gel. Anti-bacteria hand gel can be a lifesaver when there’s not a sink nearby. Sani-wipes or antibacterial wipes can help clean off a restaurant highchair, the handle of the grocery car, and the restroom changing table.
7. Pack Extra Plastic Bags. Whether a reused grocery bag, or zip-top baggie, you’ll need these constantly for putting dirty bibs and clothes in, or a soiled diaper.
8. Give yourself a treat. How would you keep yourself occupied while he/she is sleeping? Pack a little snack for yourself, drop your wallet in, and anything else that will make you happy on your trip. Take a camera along just in case you see something on a stroller ride or you want to photograph the baby doing something cute.

Tips

• Just remember that you’re not packing for a trip, just a time out of the house. Don’t overdo the stroller or cram things in the diaper bag.
• Always have a bag ready. If you’re out or low on food/drinks, prepare as soon as you come home, so you don’t have to worry at the last minute. Wash any dirty/dropped pacifiers as soon as possible.
• You may want to have two diaper bags: one for long outings, and a smaller one for shorter trips.
• It’s good to have a changing pad (either disposable or plastic) if there isn’t a restroom around. Some restaurants won’t have a “Koala Baby Changing Station”, which is a plastic changing table (usually mounted on the wall). Having your own plan is better than guessing if something is available or not.
• If your child’s doctor uses disposible examination pads (they are about the size of a bandanna), grab a few –they make excellent disposible changing pads. They are also available at some retailers for use in incontinent patients.

Related wikiHows

• How to Soothe a Teething Baby
• How to Use Cloth Diapers
• How to Wear a Baby Pouch Sling
• How to Help a Pet Get Used to a New Baby
• How to Buy a Baby Carseat/Stroller Travel System
• How to Change a Diaper
• How to Bathe an Infant
• How to Photograph a Baby or Infant

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Pack a Diaper Bag. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

English speakers communicating with wikiHow editors from the USA will need to know just a little more about the language.

Steps

1. Be aware that certain food items are called by different names:
   • French fries are chopped and fried potatos,
   • Potato Chips are crisps,
   • Cookie is a Biscuit.
   • Biscuit is a small piece of soft bread.
2. Learn the different terms for parts of a building:
   • The First floor is the Ground Floor.
   • The Second floor is the First Floor
   • Elevator is the Lift,
   • Apartment is the general word for a Flat,
3. Study these terms for when you are on the move:
   • The Trunk is the Boot of the car, and
   • The Hood is the Bonnet,
   • A Traffic Circle is a Roundabout.
   • The colours of traffic lights are called red, yellow and green (not amber)
   • Truck is a Lorry,
   • Sidewalk is the Pavement.
   • Gasoline is Petrol,
4. Avoid embarrassment by understanding these differences:
   • Bathroom is the Toilet
   • An Eraser is a Rubber.
5. Remember when throwing something away that:
   • Garbage or trash is Rubbish.
   • Garbage goes in the Trash Can
   • “Trash Bag.” is a Bin Liner.
6. Use these terms when talking about clothing:
   • Pants are Trousers,
   • Panties/Knickers are women’s undergarments,
   • Sneakers are Trainers,
7. Finally, study these terms which an cause confusion:
   • Baby Stroller is a Pram,
   • Vacation is a Holiday or a trip to get away from ordinary life,
   • Flashlight is a Torch
   • Dish Detergent is Washing-up liquid or liquid to wash dishes.

Warnings

• Some words are less acceptable in America than in the UK e.g. do not ask for a fag when you want a cigarette — You’ll be asking (quite derogatorily) a homosexual.
• This article was copied from Understand British Terms

Related wikiHows

• How to Understand British Terms
• How to Choose Which English to Use on wikiHow

Sources and Citations

• This site
• This site

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Understand American Terms. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Isn’t it so beautiful when baby falls asleep with a bottle in her mouth? Isn’t it so disgusting when you find a bottle of cheese the next morning?

Steps

1. Make sure that when your child is asleep with the bottle, to quietly take it out of the crib, so that you won’t have cheese the next morning.
2. Pour the excess milk into the sink, and rinse the bottle with warm water.
3. Fill the bottle halfway and put a few drops of soap. Put on the nipple, close it up with your finger, and shake, shake, shake!
4. Pour the suds and water out, get your sponge wet, put some soap on it, suds it up, and start scrubbing inside the bottle.
5. Let the bottle sit and and take the nipple off the cap. Scrub that with soap, water and your fingers. Rinse and clean the cap.
6. Rinse the bottle and nipple until there are no suds.
7. Dry.

Alternate Method

1. Empty the bottle and place it, upside down, in the top rack of your dishwasher. Run it through with the next batch of dishes. Viva la modern technology!

Tips

• If the bottle contents are already gross, empty them into the toilet instead of the sink.

Warnings

• Make sure there is no soap when you feed the milk to your baby.

Related wikiHows

• How to Get Your Two Year Old to Stop Crying and Go to Sleep Alone
• How to Buy a Jogging Stroller
• How to Make a Bedtime Book
• How to Keep Your House Clean With a New Baby
• How to Succeed As a New Stay at Home Mom

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Clean a Baby’s Bottle. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Prior to adopting your dog, make sure that you know about the breed’s characteristics. For instance, a beagle is known for barking. There are so many animals that are brought into a home with the best of intentions, but because that family did not do their homework, months later they get rid of the pet because it did not live up to their expectations. Knowing about the breed can help you avoid purchasing a dog with known characteristics that you may find troublesome (i.e., barking). However, there are some dogs who bark excessively compared to others of their breed. Here are some tips that may help keep your dog quiet. This is NOT a positive method, it is an assertive method (meaning negative and positive feedback).

Steps

1. When the dog begins to bark, scold him with a firm “No.”
2. If he barks again, use a spray bottle filled with water, and using a displeased tone, repeat “No.” Tone of voice is very important. Someone with a weak tone and body language will get a very different reaction than someone who is very assertive and strong in tone.
3. Your dog may repeat barking. Don’t give up. Stay calm and repeat your negative-toned “No.”
4. Do not ever hit your dog unless it’s part of a struggle to break up a fight with another animal or a person. Some people believe that using a rolled up paper to make a loud noise may cause your dog to stop barking. This is rarely effective and often has negative consequences. Scaring your dog is not recommended. Stay away from using newspapers and never hit your dog.
5. Repeat the “no” command, combined with the spray bottle if necessary, and be patient–don’t lose your cool or hit the dog; this will break his desire to make you happy, which is an important part of training.
6. If he stops barking, have him perform a previously learned command (i.e., sit), then give calm praise. Don’t praise as soon as barking stops because he may believe you’re praising the bad behavior.
7. If the above tips fail, some people recommend electronic “shock” or spray collars. For the vast majority of dogs, alternative methods will be more successful, with lower cost and pain involved for the dog. These expensive devices may stop the barking, but can make training harder by causing your dog discomfort. This could result in an unhappy dog which could make them harder to train and possibly aggressive.

Tips

• Owners with Chihuahuas should seek professional dog trainers. Other breeds that require professional trainers are Basset Hounds and Miniature Collies.
• Inflicting bodily harm to discipline a pet is not recommended and may make the animal outwardly aggressive.
• When training your dog to a specific command, like “SIT,” try to use good-tasting, healthy dog treats. Milkbone are usually not as healthy as the treats specialty pet stores carry, which are often slightly more expensive, but healthier and more varied in flavour. Keep in mind that these are still only ‘treats’ and cannot substitute a dog’s regular meals.
• When a dog barks profusely, it sometimes indicates the need for human affection and attention, or it may be the result of built-up energy. For instance, it is not wise to keep a dog such as the Border Collie cooped up in an apartment. The dog has no way to release all of its dormant energy.
• Consider using a buzzer collar. Every time your dog barks, a small jolt will come from the collar. Talk to your vet before purchasing one but as stated above, this is not recommended. It can be as bad as hitting your dog for bad behaviour.
• Teach a dog that barks a lot to “speak.” By putting the command on cue you have more control over the behavior.
• Before tell your dog to “quiet,” check to see what they are barking at. They really are barking for a reason, today it maybe a lady with a baby stroller, tomorrow it could be an intruder or fire.

Warnings

• Please refrain from hitting your beloved pets. It only worsens the situation. They will end up barking louder.
• Please seek professional help before using a “shock” collar as misusing it can induce great pain.
• Do not put vinegar in the water bottle; vinegar contains acetic acid that can cause skin burns, permanent eye damage, and irritation to the mucous membranes!
• Don’t yell “no”. To a dog it sounds like a bark and may increase barking. “No” or “Quiet” in a firm voice is much more effective.
• The reason you don’t want to hit your dog is that it’ll make it more inclined to distrusting you and it will make the dog meaner.

Things You’ll Need

• Spray bottle
• Patience
• Dog
• Water

Related wikiHows

• How to Control Your Dog’s Behavior by Becoming Pack Leader
• How to Train Your Dog using the M.U.T.T. Method
• How to Prevent a Dog From Door Charging
• How to Train a Puppy Not to Bite

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Quiet a Barking Dog. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Whilst some may believe cosleeping to be unsafe, if it’s done safely there are many benefits. Cosleeping promotes confidence and self esteem. Children who do not cosleep are harder to control, less able to deal with stress and are more likely to be dependent upon their parents. Indeed the majority of babies around the world cosleep with their parents; it is only a western phenomenon in which children sleep on their own in their own rooms.
Before baby arrives, make sure your bed and bedroom is safe by following these steps. Think of your bed as a large crib, and follow basic crib safety guidelines.
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission disagree with the above statement. Both organizations strongly recommend against co-sleeping. However this view is strongly countered by many, in particular Professor James McKenna, director of the University of Notre Dame Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory.

Steps

1. Use as firm a sleeping surface as possible. It’s not safe to co-sleep on a waterbed, featherbed or other overly-soft sleeping surface
2. Think big. A king size bed is best, so invest the money you would have spent on a crib to upgrade to a firm, king size bed. However, if you co-sleep safely, any bed size will be fine.
3. Make sure your sheets are tight and lay flat on your bed. If your sheets are very loose, you can purchase elastic clip-on “sheet keepers” in the bedding department of most stores.
4. Remove any extra pillows, blankets, decorative throws, pillows and bolsters, and stuffed animals. Keep only what you absolutely need.
5. Stay close. Baby is safest between the mother and a bed rail or the wall. (Mothers usually know where baby is even in their sleep, while partners and older children don’t show the same keen awareness.)
6. Mind the gap. The bed should be flush against a guard-rail or the wall. Insert pillows or tightly-rolled blanket if there is a gap. Remember that a guard-rail that is designed to keep a toddler or preschooler from rolling out of bed may not be safe for an infant. (An infant is much smaller, so the guard-rail may pose an entrapment risk.)
7. Place baby to sleep on their back or side. Also try “spooning” your baby, placing them on their side with their back to your torso.
8. Lower your bed. When baby is old enough to get out of the bed, it’s safest to remove your bed frame and place your box spring and mattress on the floor, in case of falls. Teach your baby how to wiggle out of bed feet first, the same as they would go down stairs.
9. Soften the blow. If your room has hard floors, place soft throw-rugs beside the bed and at the end of the bed, to cushion accidental falls.

Tips

• You can swaddle baby, or dress them in a warm sleep sack, and place them on top of the bedding if you’re worried you’ll accidentally cover their face with your covers. Check your baby’s temperature if you are swaddling to avoid overheating your baby and make sure that the swaddle can’t come unwrapped or the swaddle itself can pose a hazard to your baby.
• If you do not feel safe with the baby in your bed, purchase a co-sleeper such as the “Arm’s Reach Bedside Cosleeper” or the “Amby Bed,” or put baby’s crib in your bedroom. Both mother and baby can still benefit from co-sleeping in this way. A crib pulled against your bed with one side lowered is NOT a safe option. This poses a risk of entrapment/strangulation.
• As baby gets older, he/she may be able to sleep safely in the middle of the bed, providing your partner or older child can sense their presence and not roll over on them.
• Be sure to child-proof your entire bedroom as soon as baby starts crawling, so they can get out of bed and be safe while you’re still resting. Close bedroom doors or use gates so baby can’t leave the room.
• A low budget way to keep your baby from getting trapped in the space between the bed and the wall is to wedge a body pillow into the space tightly so that it only sticks out a small amount and the exposed part is firm to the touch.
• When travelling and in unfamiliar sleeping quarters, sleeping bags work very well to keep babies close. Use them unzipped on the floor, however, and make sure that they don’t provide any more padding than what you would receive with a firm mattress. Otherwise the risk of rebreathing “stale air” (a risk factor for SIDS) becomes quite high.

Warnings

• Do not co-sleep with baby if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol that impair your ability to sense the baby’s presence beside you.
• Do not co-sleep with baby if you are so exhausted or ill that you’re not able to sense the baby’s presence beside you.
• Do not co-sleep with baby if you have an illness, such as sleep apnea, that prevents you from rousing easily.
• Don’t wear night-clothes that are too loose or have ties that could be unsafe for baby. Ditto for your partner.
• If your room isn’t child-proofed, DO NOT allow baby out of bed unless you get up with them.
• Contrary to myth, obese mothers can co-sleep with their baby safely, provided they follow basic safety guidelines and have no health problem that prevents them from rousing easily from sleep.
• Research has shown that when tragedies occur, it is often the first time a particular “safe sleep” procedure wasn’t used. This is particularly important for the Back to Sleep position: “Research has shown that babies who are used to sleeping on their backs but who are suddenly placed in bed on their sides or their tummies face a very high risk of SIDS. This risk factor humps from the standard incidence rate of 0.56 deaths per 1000 live births to 6.9 per 1000 for the side-lying position and 8.2 for the tummy-lying position. (Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler by Ann Douglas).

Things You’ll Need

• Tight, flat sheets - you may need elastic clip-on sheet keepers.

Related wikiHows

• How to Bottle Nurse a Baby
• How to Change a Diaper
• How to Easily Give Eyedrops to a Baby or Child
• How to Assemble a Baby Crib
• How to Bathe an Infant
• How to Trim an Infant’s Fingernails
• How to Succeed As a New Stay at Home Mom
• How to Bathe an Infant
• How to Photograph a Baby or Infant
• How to Read a Book to a Baby or Infant
• How to Buy a Stroller

Sources and Citations

• http://askdrsears.com/html/10/t102200.asp
• http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T070200.asp
• http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-ap/312-co-sleeping-safety.htm
• http://www.cosleeping.org
• Information on Co-sleeping from National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Co Sleep Safely With Your Baby. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.